By William “Skip” Deegans
The recent controversy about fluoride in municipal drinking water is not the only one regarding water additives. Iodine, long known to prevent endemic goiter, was added to a few public water systems in the United States in the early 1920s. Iodine is a naturally occurring trace element, but iodine deficiencies were prevalent in certain areas of the United States, particularly the Great Lakes, Appalachia, and the northwestern regions. During World War I, nearly one-third of all draftees had enlarged thyroid glands or goiter.
When some cities added or proposed to add iodine to their water systems, there was strong opposition from Christian Scientists and anti-medical organizations who didn’t want their water “doped.” There were also concerns by municipalities about the cost. As an alternative, school children were given iodine tablets, some that were chocolate covered called iodo-statins.
In 1922, the Michigan State Medical Society proposed the adoption of adding iodine to salt. While it is still voluntary, the iodization of salt was widely adopted. Although iodine deficiencies are generally no longer a major issue in the United States, they continue to be a global health challenge.
Sources: National Institute of Health, Iodization of Public Water Supplies For Prevention of Endemic Goiter by Robert Olesen, The Minnesota Star, University of Wisconsin.
